Prodigal son romances are tricky. Rarely is an author brave enough to flesh out a tale where an entire town and a heroine are hard pressed to forgive a hero. Missy Tippens has bravely tackled the theme and produced a fine tale of forgiveness and love hard won. A real page turner, A House Full of Hope is also full of those moments when the reader goes, “I’ve done that” or “I’ve thought the same thing.” Realistically paced and detailed, this romance is also as an excellent lesson in the difficulty of making a change in one’s life when others are not willing to see the change.

Mark Ryker, a successful businessman, returns home to make amends and is immediately faced with the obstacle of a small town not willing to forgive his wild youth or the damage he has done to others. Tippens has so accurately captured the whispers and grudges of the townsfolk, as well as Mark’s sorrow and the actions of his few defenders, the reader gets behind him from the get-go. The heroine, Hannah Hughes, is not as easily persuaded to be sympathetic and forgiving, especially since her family’s welfare is at stake. Her harried, protective mama persona had this reader sympathizing with her even when she seemed to give Mark too hard a time. To the author’s credit, Tippens does not write a story of “cheap grace.”. The difficult obstacles with no easy solutions make the romance all that more enjoyable to read and definitely sigh-worthy at the end.